1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a connector with a grounding shroud having means for fixedly engaging with a circuit board.
2. Prior Art of the invention
Electrical connectors are usually used to establish electrical connection between an electronic component and a circuit board. However, electromagnetic interference, such as cross talk, commonly occurs during high speed signal transmission. Thus, conductive grounding shrouds are often used to shield the connector and must be electrically connected to ground in the circuit board on which the connector is mounted to overcome such problems. Such grounding shrouds and related connectors are respectively shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
As shown in FIG. 5, a first conventional connector 5 comprises an insulative housing 50, a plurality of contacts 51 received in the housing 50, a grounding shroud 53 covering the housing 50 and a shield 52 positioned below the housing 50. The housing 50, the grounding shroud 53 and the shield 52 are joined together by engaging means thereof as well as a pair of bolts 57. A card ejector 58 is positioned at a side of the shield 52 for manual ejection of a memory card therefrom. When the assembled connector 5 is mounted onto a circuit board 6, a pair of board-locks 55 secured in the housing 50 are available to reliably secure the connector 5 to the circuit board 6 through a pair of through-holes 61 defined in the circuit board 6 so that it is unmovable during soldering. However, the pair of board-locks 55 increases the cost of the connector and enlarges the elongate dimension of the connector.
Referring to FIG. 6, a second conventional connector 70 disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,259 comprises an insulative housing 72, a plurality of contacts 74 received in the housing 72 and a grounding shroud 76 covering the housing 72. The grounding shroud 76 comprises a plurality of terminal members 78 adapted to be electrically connected to a circuit board 80 to transmit electromagnetic signal therethrough. However, the grounding shroud 76 still does not provide a method of securing the second conventional connector 70 onto the circuit board 80, so external retaining elements are still necessary to secure the second conventional connector onto the circuit board 80. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.